Tipico Coffee has made an appearance in Dwell, not just because of the cafés clean cut design, but for revolutionary design aspects that contribute to the functionality and simplistic splendor of the space. As Dwell keenly notes, Buffalo is known for its historic architecture, not so much for its modern building stock (hopefully that will change soon enough). That is why local architects and designers should take note of this build out, and the publicity that it has garnered from such an esteemed architecture and design magazine.
Buffalo is perfectly positioned to see modern building at this juncture. Land is still relatively cheap, and the city is on a steady trajectory upwards. Most of the contemporary design that we have seen to date has been extremely lackluster, except for the Hauptman Woodward Medical Research building that has a modernist flair. There is news of a couple of modern container houses being built in the Old First Ward too. So far, we’ve seen sparks of brilliance, but no one has built anything truly inspiring or jaw dropping as of late.
Until this point Buffalo has been concentrating on preserving its at-risk historic structures. Those developments have rallied a younger generation to move back home. Hopefully, as the city pushes forward, we will find that more architects, designers, corporations, land owners, and developers realize that need for inspirational buildings that will speak to the modernist world. If this movement must start with smaller flashes of brilliance like the Tipico conversion, then so be it.
Photo by Florian Holzherr | Architects: Georg Rafailidis and Stephanie Davidson